Red Wings Get Even with Predators in 3-2 Win

The Detroit Red Wings evened things up with the Nashville Predators in more ways than one during a 3-2 win Friday night.

The Western Conference Quarterfinal series between the two teams now sits at 1-1 as it shifts to Detroit for Game Three on Sunday, with the Predators having taken Game One on Wednesday.

In addition to tying the series up, the Red Wings got back at Nashville captain Shea Weber. Weber ended the opening game of the series by slamming Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the glass. In Game Two, Todd Bertuzzi fought Weber just 1:36 in.

Ian White gave Detroit its first lead of the series at 8:25 of the opening period. White walked the puck in from the right point to the top of the right faceoff circle and snapped a shot past Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne to make it 1-0.

With 4:27 left in the period, Cory Emmerton made it 2-0 for the Red Wings. Emmerton blocked a shot in the Detroit end and gathered up the puck for a two-on-one down the ice with Gustav Nyquist. After defenseman Roman Josi dropped to the ice to block the passing lane, Emmerton fired a shot from the left circle over Rinne’s shoulder.

The Predators pulled back to within a goal at 9:01 of the second, when Andrei Kostitsyn was left alone in the slot. He took a feed from Alexander Radulov and flung the puck past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard to make it 2-1.

Detroit regained the two-goal lead just 56 seconds later, when a Brad Stuart shot from the left circle tipped off Johan Franzen in front of the net and in behind Rinne to make it 3-1.

The Predators would pressure late but could only manage one more goal, with Weber backhanding a shot from the slot past Howard with 4:44 remaining.

Howard finished the night with 24 saves on 26 shots. Rinne made 14 saves on the 17 shots he faced.

Neither team scored a power play goal on the night. Detroit had two tries with the extra attacker while the Predators had six power plays, including 30 secons of five-on-three.

The teams will meet in Game Three in Detroit on Sunday.